Looks like there’s a battle brewing between light & darkness in the fashion world as models Elza Luijendijk. Philipp Schmidt, Dmitriy Tanner and Kacey Carrig all star in Versace’s new gothic led A/W 12 ad campaign.

According to WWE: “Versace have turned to Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott to photograph the brand’s ad campaign, which picks up where February’s fashion show left off. Model Elza Luijendijk, styled by Joe McKenna, sports the same bluntly razored bangs and bleached eyebrows seen on the fall runway, delivering Donatella Versace’s Gothic and edgy underground inspiration. Photographed in a studio in London, Luijendijk poses on large cement blocks with chunky metal chains and a painted marine backdrop. The black-and-white images accent the contrasts between light and shade in the campaign, the third for the photographers with Versace. The men’s campaign features Philipp Schmidt, Dmitriy Tanner and Kacey Carrig, and was styled by David Bradshaw.”

I like the way the concept has been executed in relation to the collection, it works well especially with the idea of it being the evolution of the previous campaign. In fact it’s like a progression of their last two ad campaigns. Elza’s edginess works well against the almost archaic backdrop, and even though she has big shoes to fill, (as Gisele fronted the spring/summer campaign), her overall look with the dark lips & sharp bob is perfect for the rebellious & gothic nature of the collection. The broken chains, cement blocks & the severity of the styling convey a ‘strong’ Versace woman. I’m not too opposed to the amount of retouching here either as it fits the Versace aesthetic & adds to the drama.

The men’s campaign is like the antithesis of the women’s campaign. It’s not as busy, feels a little less gothic and is a little more ‘rock ‘n’ roll mobster’. However, the harsh contrast between the light & shadow elements relate it back to the original concept. The styling feels much more softer and not as intense as Elza’s, almost as if Versace are playing with the idea of gender/role reversal between the models.

I cannot wait to see the images on a larger scale. It gets two thumbs up from me!